Din's Agrestic
by iredlk
Summary: After the Outcasts of Ikana try to bring about the destruction of Hyrule, it's up to Link and Sheik to stop them. But how can you stop someone with the power of Din herself, not even mentioning the distractions right in front of you. BLYAOISHONENAISLASHWH
1. Chapter 1

**Title: **Din's Agrestic

**Rating: **Right Now it's T but this might change to M later.

**Pairing: **Eventual Link x Sheik (a MAN.)

**Summary:** After the Outcasts of Ikana try to bring about the destruction of Hyrule, it's up to Link and Sheik to stop them. But how can you stop someone with the power of Din herself, not even mentioning the distractions right in front of you. BL/YAOI/SHONEN-AI/SLASH/WHATEVER. PICK YOUR WORD AND KNOW WHAT THIS IS GOING TO CONTAIN.

**Disclaimer:** I not only own Zelda, but also nintendo in its entirety. Actually I don't any of it, but I can dream, right? right?

**A/N: **Well, this is it. Ninteen years in the making, my first fanfiction. And it's going to be Link x Shiek goodness, I promise. Oh, oh, oh, it will be good. (I really hope X)

Feedback makes my day brighter, fyi.

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**Chapter One: **An Unexpected Summon

The hooded man quickly walked down the narrow corridor until he arrived upon a door that looked completely out of place. The corridor was of roughly laid stone, and only just served the purpose it was created for. Every ten feet there was a glowing red stone stuck into the wall, slightly illuminating the hallway enough to pass, but doing little else. But the door that the man now stood in front of was quite different from its surroundings, almost excessively so. A cherry-wood bordered the door, peppered with various precious gems giving anyone near it a feeling of extravagance. The door itself was a finely polished stone, also with jewels embedded, but with a specific order to their position. An intricate, ornate pattern flowed across the door, and at eye level writing was engraved that the hooded man had never seen before, nor had anyone he knew. It was an ancient language, at one time feared to be spoken, and through its non-use had been made extinct. Though he could not read the engraving he knew the language to be the Language of the Goddess, finally confirming that this was indeed Din's Temple. And though this, the man knew exactly what lay beyond the door. Pressing one hand to it, he gently pushed the door open and obtained the object within.

When the man returned outside the Temple, the people that had been waiting expectantly for days grew deathly silent. They stared at the man with great expectation as he walked out of the Temple entrance. A woman at the front of the crowd took a tentative step forward, and quietly voiced the common thought of every person gathered. The hooded man smiled, and pulled the object out of his pocket, holding it up to the sky so that no one could doubt its existence. Still holding the object out to the people, he addressed the crowd.

"I have obtained it. And now it will begin, the end of the world."

The people broke out in thunderous applause.

- - - - -

A loud yell broke the slumber of the young elf currently sleeping in a stable.

"LINNNNNNK!!!!!"

Link woke with a start. It took a couple seconds to wear off the morning amnesia and recognize that voice, but not before the red-haired girl to whom it belong burst through the stable door.

"LINNNKKK! Get up you lazy jerk! You promised you'd help this poor little girl run her humble ranch while her dad was away, and when it comes time to help, where are you? It's already ten O'Clock!!!! We've wasted half the day! When someone asks you to be up at six and to take the horses out so they won't be grumpy later and you say YES then you BETTER DO IT. GODDESSES. YOU'RE NO MAN."

Link just stared as Malon went on and on. She was pretty mad, but hadn't she said that she'd defiantly wake him up in time to do that? Link distinctly remembered that conversation, but knew better than to mention it to her in this state. Or ever.

"Look, Malon, I'm sorry. I'll start right away."

"You better! And now you're gonna have to help clean the cucco's nest, too. And I might need help cooking lunch, and If I do you better be done with all the chores and ready to help."

Oddly enough, it had never ocured to link that Malon might be taking advantage of his help. Even though she'd never do it purposefully, whenever Link agreed to stay with her, usually when Talon was out showing off his prized cuccos at various fairs, she'd end up having him come close to taking care of the entire ranch by himself. And a ranch the size of Lon Lon wasn't easily maintained.

But to Link, it was as simple as a friend had asked for help and he gave it. The Kokori had raised him well; you never let a friend go in need of something without helping them out. That was the rule.

After Link had tended to the horses and had just started sweeping out the cucco's covered area of the barn, Malon came back holding a piece of paper. Her face was contorted and her look sour as she thrust the letter into Links chest. He took it with his free hand, the other still holding the broom, and opened it as best he could with one hand.

"No need to read it. It's a formal request from the castle for your presence. I already read it, sorry." But she didn't sound sorry at all, rather extremely annoyed.

Link finally managed to open it, and held it up to read the message. It was a request from Zelda, Princess of Hyrule, for the Hero of Time's presence at an important meeting to be held early the next day. The wording of the letter left no doubt as to whether or not he was absolutely required to attend, he was.

This concerned Link slightly. He hadn't had such a summon from Zelda for almost two years, a huge period of peace for Hyrule. He hoped that this meeting wouldn't reveal anything that would disturb that peace, but in his stomach he knew that it would. Something was going on, and he was needed to help stop it. Link looked up at Malon apologetically.

"Malon… I've got to go. You know that, right?"

She her face softened to a resigned sadness.

"Yes, I know. And you've got to leave soon if you want to make it to Market Town by tomorrow. It's already pressing on towards three."

Link smiled at her and nodded. He leaned the broom against the wall, and ran over to his cot. After gathering all his things together into the small pouch he wore at the waist of his tunic he looked back at Malon.

"Thanks. I promise I'll come back as soon as this is sorted out." He walked over to the stable Epona was in and let her out, leading her to the door. As he walked outside and reattached his sword and shield Malon's voice came after him.

"You'd better keep this promise, 'Hero of time.'"

And with that final word he lept onto Epona and rode out of the Ranch in the direction of Hyrule Castle.

**Well? What did you think? Read and Review please. Thanks in advance. **


	2. Chapter 2

**Title**: Din's Agrestic

**Rating**: Right Now it's T but this might change to M later.

**Pairing**: Link x Sheik (a MAN.)

**Summary**: After the Outcasts of Ikana try to bring about the destruction of Hyrule, it's up to Link and Sheik to stop them. But how can you stop someone with the power of Din herself, not even mentioning the distractions right in front of you. BL/YAOI/SHONEN-AI/SLASH/WHATEVER. PICK YOUR WORD AND KNOW WHAT THIS IS GOING TO CONTAIN.

**Disclaimer**: I not only own Zelda, but also nintendo in its entirety. Actually I don't any of it, but I can dream, right? right?

**A/N:** Sorry if you got a lot of emails about this. I had to fight fanfiction a bit to get it set up.

Feedback makes my day brighter, fyi.

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**Chapter Two**: Trouble at the Wall

It was a full day's ride to Market Town, so Link didn't arrive until well after dark. As expected, the massive drawbridge, the only protection the townspeople had from the Stalchildren, had already been raised. When Link neared the gate he waved up at the solder on night watch (and had been told previously to lower the bridge when Link arrived). Link pulled up on Epona's reigns when he reached the two small walls at the reach of the bridge, slid down Epona onto the ground, and quickly slashed through the few Stalchildren who had popped up from the ground moments earlier. The bridge clicked loudly as it slowly made its way down and finally hit the ground with a resounding thud. The night air seemed to amplify every sound, and the castle walls bounced it around giving it an echo that lasted for several seconds. And after that, silence. Link turned to Epona and removed his bow from her saddle pouch along with his quiver. He patted her gently on the neck and Epona, recognizing that this was time for her to leave, gave a goodbye nuzzle and started to gallop off into the distance. Link put away the bow and strapping the quiver across his shoulder, he made his way over the bridge and into the castle.

Another Hylian solder awaited him as he entered the Market Town plaza, the heart of the town. During daylight this courtyard struggled to contain the massive amount of people running about doing their daily routines; at night, the darkness sucked all vitality from the air and only dogs could be seen, enjoying the hours they had to play freely before dawn. The solder stood by center basin and watched Link approach without moving. When Link was only a few feet away, he snapped to attention and recited the message he'd been instructed to give the Hero.

"Hero of Time. Please come directly to my sitting room in the castle. The guards have already been informed of your arrival. Please hurry, Princess Zelda."

Link nodded his head to the solder, who seemed satisfied that he'd completed his job without incident. Link then continued through the plaza and into path leading to Hyrule Castle. He walked past the familiar sights and his mind thought back to why he had been summoned. What could possibly be the manner for such a specific and urgent summon like the one he'd received? As he approached the second gate the guards that flanked it waved him through, as did the third gate's guards when he arrived there. He proceeded across the mini-bridge and entered the castle.

The sitting room lay on the eastern side of the castle. One of the biggest and most ornate rooms, Zelda used it mainly to hold conference or receive guests of the crown. Link could count on one hand the number of times he'd entered, though he knew where it was and the quickest way to get there, through the gardens. When Link passed the final gate and entered the inner part of the castle, he turned right and headed through the foliage decked arches that separated the overgrown gardens from the order of the rest of the castle.

The gardens lay in a sequence of four distinct areas, each one housing different kinds of plants and decoration, but all adding up so that the effect was one, diverse garden. The flower garden was the first one Link entered, immediately outside of the arches. As the moonlight provided enough visibility to see the stone laid path, Link made his way though this garden easily to the next one, the tree garden. Here the many trees' spread branches blocked out the light so he was forced to rely upon memory and the little light small, randomly placed lanterns gave.

Link walked quickly though this garden as well, anxious to get to the sitting room as soon as he could to resolve the questions racing around his brain. But about halfway through the garden a speck of light caught his eye and he stopped to try make out what it was. As he squinted, he saw that not all light was blocked by the trees; a small, circular break in the leaves existed over about 20 meters from his present position. This in itself would not have been cause for pause but for what was in the middle of that light.

It was a boy, 18 years, who seemed to be glowing. Where the moonlight reacted with his darkish-tan skin a soft aura seemed to be emitting, surrounding his slender body. But very little of his skin was shone, only the hands and a portion of the face. The boy wore a tight fitting blue garment, covered by a frayed, white cloth. Upon the cloth was painted the all-seeing eye, a symbol known throughout the world to denote a Sheikah. The boy's pants were also tight fitted, as tighter clothing meant more mobility, and in the profession of the boy mobility meant everything. Around his wrists were wrapped white bandages, and the same though slightly bigger in size as wrapped around his face. Blonde hair stuck out of the wrappings on his head, a brilliant streaked-blonde that one could long for forever, but could only be had by those born with it.

To Link, who hadn't seen the boy in over a year, he looked absolutely perfect.

And he wanted to run over to Sheik right now, strip him down, and explore every part of his body with his tongue.

"No, bad Link" he thought to himself, "concentrate on why you're here." But it was hard, it always was when Sheik was near, to stay focused on the mission. During the war with Ganondorf, all Link's fears would vanish the instant Sheik would drop from a tree, or come out of a building to help him. He knew he should always have the good of Hyrule on his mind, knew that being the Hero of Time meant that his destiny was so, but Sheik did something to him that he couldn't describe. It was as if the world vanished when he appeared, and that a new world of only Sheik and himself replaced it. It was not an unhappy world, either.

"Should I call out to him?" Link wondered, "It might bother him, but it seems like he's only just standing and looking at the stars. I should probably let him not that I'm here in any case, it's been so long…" Just then the question arose as to why Sheik was in the castle, especially at this hour. Link had last known Sheik to be running various missions for Zelda that required a certain degree of subtlety that Link just didn't possess. Usually these ran months at a time, and the few times Sheik returned to the castle were never prolonged visits. They also seemed to coincide with Links own missions so that neither Link nor Sheik had been in the castle at the same time, besides this moment, for about a year. Link had felt the absence from his life, even if was only a glimpse of the other boy every once in a while.

Finally deciding to walk over loudly towards Sheiks location, Link began in that direction knowing Sheik would quickly sense the noise. He hoped that, being as they were in the middle of the castle gardens, Sheik wouldn't sense danger and go into attack mode. The last thing he needed after an exhaustive ride to the castle was a fight with Sheik yelling "No Sheik! It's me, Link!"

The smallest cock in the illuminated boys head showed that he had noticed the newcomer, but as he did nothing else, clearly did not identify it as a threat. When Link entered the lit portion of the forest Sheik turned his head away from the sky to stare at Link. The red eyes showed age and maturity far beyond Link's own, blue ones. "If they could tell of the things they'd seen, I wonder what they'd say," Link thought. It would be a long story.

Sheik turned his body to face Link when he stopped just inside the light circle and nodded slightly in greeting. Link nodded back, not quite sure what to say. He felt as if his stomach were rotating and the air slightly caught in his throat. After a prolonged pause Sheik broke the silence.

"It's been a while, Link."

"Yeah it has. How have you been?"

"Well enough. Did you receive a summons from the Princess as well, then?" Always straight to the point.

Link shook his head, slightly shocked. Had Sheik been summoned by Zelda too? Then he suddenly remembered that she was most likely waiting for him (and Sheik, apparently) back in the castle.

"Uh, yeah I did. We should go see Zelda right away probably."

"Agreed. Please lead the way." His tone hadn't been rough, but Link knew that Sheik had no more to say and any attempt at conversation further would be useless. He signed inwardly, turned, and headed for through the third and fourth gardens, with Sheik following distantly behind.

The two arrived at the sitting room a couple minutes later. Link entered first, and walked over to a seated Zelda near the center of the room. She stood when she noticed them and an expression of annoyance lingered just beyond her smile. When he and Sheik were both standing in front of her he nodded politely and they exchanged greetings. Sheik stood off to the side, apparently completely uninterested in pleasantries, and said nothing.

"Now then, as to why I called you both here." Zelda walked over to a nearby end table and picked up a piece of paper. "I've just two days ago received this letter from the Gerudo Leader Nabooru. She's informed me that there's a bit of trouble at the Gerudo Wall, and has specifically requested that the Hero of Time come to assist her resolve it." Sheik nodded, but Link looked confused. He looked at Sheik, then back at Zelda.

"Um… the Gerudo Wall?"

"Goddesses Link, do you ever pay attention? I know I've spoke of the Gerudo Wall several times before." Link shook his head.

"The Three Lands Legend? Din's Agrestic? None of this sounds familiar??" Link knew Zelda was agitated but he couldn't help it. Whenever Zelda began recounting old Sheikah Legend she could go on for hours, and even though he wanted to, Link just couldn't sit still and listen for that long. If it related directly to a mission, he could force himself to pay attention. But, as was often the case, Zelda would just recite a totally irrelevant story. Who could listen to "the legend of the oak trees to the right of the castle," or "the legend of the pond on the way to Lake Hylia?" without being bored to a comatose state? It seemed the Sheikah had a legend for everything in Hyrule, and the princess knew them all.

"I'm sorry," Link offered. "Could you please refresh my memory?"

Zelda let out a long sigh and closed her eyes. She put a hand to her head and massaged her temples. When she opened her eyes, they bore an expression of mixed annoyance and of pity.

"No, I'm sorry Link. I should really try to remember that you lost seven years growing up and still have that child's mind"

Link wasn't sure if he should be offended or not.

"OK Link. The Legend goes like this:

Having completed the creation of the world, the goddess' Din, Farore, and Nayru each decided to create a section of it to call their own. Nayru, the bringer of wisdom and the spirit of law, brought forth the land we live in Hyrule. She created it with a special focus so that the creatures that lived here would have a particular knowledge of order, and would respect the community more than anything else. Hyrule is the most balanced place on the world because of that respect we all share. This was Nayru's gift to us. Farore, the bringer of life to the world, sought to create a land where many different kinds of life would dwell. All her greatest creations she brought to the lands to the east of Hyrule, and named it Terminia. Terminia would have a rich abundance of diversity in life, and this was Farore's gift. Din, the bringer of the land, also created a place mirrored after her own being and values. She called it Din's Agrestic, and within it she included every land form she had ever conceived. The mountains, the desert, the water, the forest, the ice, the prairie, everything she had made she brought together. And in this merged land she created a constantly changing landscape with completely random weather as a testament to her creation, Land.

"We, of course, live within Nayru's boundries. I understand that the Termina still has people living within it as well, but Din's Agrestic is uninhabitable. Its constantly changing landscape makes it impossible to live there, and the weather is just as unforgiving as the land. But back in Hyrule's past, the weather would move across the Agrestic and come into Hyrule through the only connection between the two lands, the Gerudo Desert. To help curb this, the ancient sages created a giant wall at the far end of the Wasteland. They used every type of containment spell they knew of and sealed the Agrestic from Hyrule forever. And it worked, the land was saved, and all was well. "

"What kind of weather are we talking about?" Link asked. He'd been well traveled for his age, but despite that had only ever seen wind, rain, and snow. In Clock Town some of the people he'd met had spoken of a Hurricane, a giant wind/rain storm that would blow in from the Great Bay, but he hadn't seen it during his three days there.

"The legend doesn't specifically mention exactly what was contained within the Agrestic, but I've heard that the weather can for giant monsters that destroy entire buildings in minutes. I'd hoped I'd never have to witness it myself, which is why this news of the Wall troubles me. I'd like you, Link, to go to the desert and assist Nabooru in any way possible. Don't allow the wall to fail in its duty."

Link nodded. This was easier than memorizing legends. Zelda had given him a mission and he would complete it or die trying. That was what he knew best. In the back of his mind he thought about how proud he felt that Nabooru had asked for him to help, and he would try with everything he had to not let her down.

But then why was Sheik here?

"I would like you too, Sheik, to go. I feel your knowledge of Sheikah magic may prove valuable to the mission." Sheik nodded.

"I know you've both traveled long to get here, but I'd really like you to set out tonight if you will. Link?"

"Yeah, OK. I'm going to go get Epona ready." Linked walked through back through the door, heading for the stables. He'd expected Sheik to follow behind him, but once he was several yards in the gardens he realized that Sheik hadn't left. Curiosity gripped the Hero of Time. He decided to go back to the room and find out where Sheik was, but rather than open the door he stopped. Voices were coming from the inside belonging to Sheik and Zelda. Link knew that listening to people behind their backs was wrong, but that thing in every person, that desire to know sometime forbidden kept his hear at the crack listening just the same.

"But why are you doing this?" Sheik's voice. It occurred to Link that he hardly ever heard Sheik speak, much less be involved in a real conversation.

"I think this will really help you with your… issue." Zelda's voice answered.

"You know damn well I can't… can't… _work_ with him"

Link stepped back; he'd heard enough. Whenever someone eavesdrops there's always that danger of getting burned yourself. He turned around and headed back through the gardens towards the stables once again. Link was disgusted, in what he'd heard, yes, but mostly in himself. Disgusted that he couldn't live up to what Sheik desired in him. That someone thought he was hard to work with was one thing, but when it was Sheik thinking that… It stung his heart.

"When have I showed myself to be difficult? What have I done to make Sheik think that?" The questions would haunt him relentlessly for the next several hours.


	3. Chapter 3

**Title**: Din's Agrestic

**Rating**: Right Now it's T but this might change to M later.

**Pairing**: Link x Sheik (a MAN.)

**Summary**: After the Outcasts of Ikana try to bring about the destruction of Hyrule, it's up to Link and Sheik to stop them. But how can you stop someone with the power of Din herself, not even mentioning the distractions right in front of you. BL/YAOI/SHONEN-AI/SLASH/WHATEVER. PICK YOUR WORD AND KNOW WHAT THIS IS GOING TO CONTAIN.

**Disclaimer**: I not only own Zelda, but also nintendo in its entirety. Actually I don't any of it, but I can dream, right? right?

**A/N:** Apparently it take me a month to update things. Yeah, sorry about that. This "chapter" really is just my way of making sure I don't let this die, but don't worry, I have no intentions of doing that. R and R por favor, even though there's not that much to read. I'm in college now so finding time for Zelda fanfiction has become a little bit of a challenge. I'm shooting for another chapter (longer, much longer) within two weeks. love.

Feedback makes my day brighter, fyi.

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Link was just finishing preparing Epona and another horse for Sheik when Sheik entered the stable. Link completed his work in silence because he really didn't know how to act around Sheik now. Silence usually permeated any encounter he had with Sheik, but where before it had seemed like a time for contemplation, it now had an awkward, stagnant feeling. Sheik walked over to his horse as Link returned to Epona and ran his eyes up and down it, inspecting. Deciding that the horse would do for this trip, he set to putting the necessary equipment into the saddle. Link began putting anything he couldn't carry himself onto Epona, but kept one eye trained on Sheik. Over and over in his mind he heard Sheiks voice, "I can't work with him."

Links concentration broke when he realized Sheik had been staring directly at him for a few minutes. He gave a start and looked back into Sheik's eyes to show he now held Link's attention.

"I was saying we should leave as soon as possible, probably now."

"Oh, right. OK let's get going"

Link lead Epona down the arched walkthrough that led to the castle gate and Sheik and his horse followed. When they reached the drawbridge they both mounted, again in silence, and set out for the Gerudo Valley.

The ride at full speed from Castle Town to the first sign of dessert brought the pair through the night and into the next day. As they rode, the castle horse began to lose ground to Epona, eventually causing Link to slow Epona down significantly so the two horses paced each other. The training of the castle horses was extensive and excellent, but even the champion of the stables couldn't hold a candle to Epona. Her ability was unmatched throughout the whole of Hyrule, and Link took great pride in this. Epona did as well. It was obvious in the way she kept the speed of the castle horse that she was only appeasing this horse because Link had asked her to, and left no doubt as to which horse was superior. She could become stuck up at times.

As the sun hung high above the two travelers in the sky, they found themselves crossing the wooden bridge that separated the two halves of Gerudo Valley. From here there was only the plateau to navigate and they would arrive at the Gerudo's main fortress. Nabooru had written that she would meet them in the city, and they didn't want to keep her waiting. But the plateau itself could be a tricky area to pass on horse, as there were many drops in the path that led to very narrow breaks in the stone. Slowly it could be ridden through successfully, but the pair was trying to arrive at the fortress as soon as possible and not paying as much attention to the feel of the path as they should have done.

Link quickly sped across the plateau, but just before he reached the last turn in the stone he heard resounding crack followed by a thump. And then silence. He instantly pulled up hard on Epona's reigns and turned his upper body to see what had happened. He saw the horse first, its right back leg buried deep into a hole. The horse had been shocked by the sudden drop in ground, and had bounded forward onto its stomach. As Link watched it picked its head up from the ground and jumped to pull itself out of the ditch. It then stood on three legs, the fourth undoubtedly broken by the way it carried it off the ground.

More horrifying then the horse's injury was the body it had thrown from its back when it stumbled. Sheiks frame showed stark contrast from the brownish stone he now laid face down on, laying several feet in front of the horse. He wasn't moving, and as Link jumped off Epona to run over to Sheik, he saw a thin line of blood running from Sheik's head. Link ran to him in a panic. Why Sheik? Why Sheik? Why not me? Why hadn't I let Sheik take Epona and I took the castle horse. Please goddesses, please let him be alright.

Link pulled Sheik over so his chest was face up and his breath caught in his throat. What was once beautiful, white linen pulled over Sheik's face was now dyed crimson with his blood. From the look of him his jaw was broken, and a huge gash ran down forehead to his cheek. The linen Sheik wore over his hair had completely been ripped apart. The facial linen was clearly tattered, but remained intact, hiding the Sheikah's face from the world. Had it been anyone else, they might have been paralyzed by the horrific scene before them, but Link had seen his share of battle and his secondary instinct took over instantly. There was no time to think, only act. With one hand reaching into his bag, Link pulled out a small vial filled with a glowing red liquid; the other hand carefully ripped the remaining bandages off of Sheik's face. Nothing in Links battle-marked past could have prepared him for what he saw next.

Sheik was… ethereal. There could be no other word to describe it. His every feature blended together to create the most beautiful face in Hyrule. Link had seen his eyes before, thought on how perfect they were, glowing deep red between his linen. When the rest of his face was added the result was total perfection. His cheek bones were barely visible, forming a slight V that went down to his perfectly carved nose and down further to his full, slightly pink lips. How Link wanted to just lower his head and engulf himself in those lips right now. The primal rush of lust almost overpowered him as he knelt in awe of the boy dying in front of him. Dying? Oh Shit! Yes. He was losing blood fast and hadn't moved for two minutes now.

Link quickly uncorked the vial and pushed Sheik's lips apart with a finger. He slowly began to pour the liquid down Sheik's throat until the last drop had fallen. There was nothing to do now but wait for the potion to take effect, and hope that he wasn't too late. The minutes passed as hours as Link waited, holding parts he had ripped from his own tunic to control the bleeding. After some minutes passed, Link noticed the bleeding had slowed, and finally stopped completely. Small fibers of protein spanned the gap of the gash, reconnecting the skin and pulling it together once again. The red potion was a truly amazing item, and an absolute necessity on any adventurer. It was always best when not needed, but an excellent plan b in case you ran into trouble.

When Sheik's face had all but totally returned to normal, he gave a loud cough as life returned to his body. He blinked hard several times, still face up on the ground. Slowly he pulled himself to a sitting position and looked around until his eyes met Link's. They stared at each other for a few seconds before Sheik broke the gaze and looked down.

"Sorry."


	4. Chapter 4

**Title**: Din's Agrestic

**Rating**: Right Now it's T but this might change to M later.

**Pairing**: Link x Sheik (a MAN.)

**Summary**: After the Outcasts of Ikana try to bring about the destruction of Hyrule, it's up to Link and Sheik to stop them. But how can you stop someone with the power of Din herself, not even mentioning the distractions right in front of you. BL/YAOI/SHONEN-AI/SLASH/WHATEVER. PICK YOUR WORD AND KNOW WHAT THIS IS GOING TO CONTAIN.

**Disclaimer**: I not only own Zelda, but also nintendo in its entirety. Actually I don't any of it, but I can dream, right? right?

**A/N:** Well, this is it. I've had this chapter written for a long time (since December, anyone?) but it just hasn't seemed right so I've been endlessly rewriting it. It ended up a lot shorter than it was originally, but that's something you're just going to have to deal with because I'm tired of waiting for these two to get on with their story and romance. Expect a whole lot more "moving forward" over the next two months.

How about a thank you to my 9 reviewers, you all make me happy to be alive. FireSage, I can't help but feel happy when I read your comments. Raven, don't worry. I'm sure Sheik will do plenty "working" with Link very soon. Ryukai, here he is! Wait until you see where he's going. Spiritual Stone, you always give me the best advice, a real kick in the ass where i need it. thanks very much ). And lydia, I think you'll love it even more in a couple chapters.

Feedback makes my day brighter, fyi.

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**Chapter Four**: A Short Interlude

Link gave a bitter laugh. "It's not your fault. You've never had to ride in the desert, have you? You always have to watch out for little things like a break in the path or…" His voice trailed off.

Sheik nodded and gave his head a shake as if to clear it. The thick blonde hair, now free from its linen bonds flew everywhere, and Sheik paused for a second, then gasped. He clutched his hands to his face and turned away.

"Link, where are my bandages?" The question sounded accusing, quite bold for someone whose life had just been saved.

"Over there. I had to tear them off of you to get the potion down." Link pointed at the pile of blood-soaked linen.

Sheik glanced over at the pile, hands still in place hiding his face from the world. He did a good job concealing it in the absence of his usual attire, but Link felt the whole thing was unnecessary now. He'd already seen Sheik's face, why continue to hide it? He knew that in the olden days the Sheikah hid their faces so that every member of the race looked the same. This gave them the appearance of an immortal race, one Sheikah always replacing a fallen brother quickly. But in these the times of peace (the between-war times, as the Sheikah called it) the Sheikah kept their faces hidden more for tradition than security. Couldn't Sheik trust Link enough to not hide his face in this completely enclosed canyon?

The feeling must have shown through on Link's face because when Sheik looked back at him he shook his head slightly and said, "No."

"Here," Link said. He reached down to the white cloth pants he wore under his tunic and ripped apart the right leg. He tore off the bottoms of each leg and handed them to Sheik. "If you don't mind wearing this, you can keep it until we get to the Fortress."

Sheik reached out and took the cloth. He turned away from Link and began to wrap his face, carefully layering the cloth so that it would stay held in while he moved. When he was finished he turned back to Link.

"Shall we go on then?"

"Well, your horse certainly won't be going anywhere. We're not far from the fortress. When we get there I'll have a couple Gerudo come and tend to her. For now you'll just have to ride with me." Link wasn't fond of the idea, those words Sheik spoke back in the garden ringing in his head, but they had to continue with the mission, they both knew that.

Sheik nodded, gingerly stood up, and began to collect his pack from the fallen horse. Link thanked the Goddesses Sheik traveled light; Epona wasn't going to like the extra weight of a person as it was, much less extra baggage. She was a fast horse, and anything that slowed her down was not welcome.

When the Sheiks things were stuffed into a side back on Epona's saddle, Link jumped upon her back and held his hand out to Sheik, who took it and pulled himself behind him. They left some water and a couple carrots for the injured horse, both wishing they could do more, but knowing what their priority was. As a cloud shifted in the sky and the moonlight illuminated the ground, they were already galloping full speed towards the Gerudo Fortress.


	5. Chapter 5

**Title**: Din's Agrestic

**Rating**: Right Now it's T but this might change to M later.

**Pairing**: Link x Sheik (a MAN.)

**Summary**: After the Outcasts of Ikana try to bring about the destruction of Hyrule, it's up to Link and Sheik to stop them. But how can you stop someone with the power of Din herself, not even mentioning the distractions right in front of you. BL/YAOI/SHONEN-AI/SLASH/WHATEVER. PICK YOUR WORD AND KNOW WHAT THIS IS GOING TO CONTAIN.

**Disclaimer**: I not only own Zelda, but also nintendo in its entirety. Actually I don't any of it, but I can dream, right? right?

**A/N:** AHH Fanfiction truly hates me. It ALWAYS fails to upload what I try to get it to. If you experience anything screwy, that's why!

Thanks to my lovely reviewers, Hunter, thanks! I appreciate the kind words. Lydia, I try to keep them true to their characters best I can, but forgive me if I slip up in the future! Spiritual Stone, I write for your approval 3 seriously, your liking a chapter means a lot.

Feedback makes my day brighter, fyi.

**Chapter Four**: Trouble at the Wall

A scantily clad Gerudo guard met them just before they arrived at the gates to the Fortress. Link held up the scrap of cloth the Gerudo used as their membership card and the guard waved them past. Another Gerudo was waiting for them as they entered the fortress grounds. There always had been many of them around their fortress. She walked over to them and looked them up and down.

"I take it you're the sent help from the castle then?"

"Yes. I'm Link and this is Sheik of the Sheikah" He didn't know why he's used a title with Sheik, but that was something to worry about later. "Listen we left an injured horse about-"

The Gerudo cut him off. "We've already taken care of your horse. She's being treated as we speak."

Link was confused, and obviously looked it because the Gerudo started laughing.



"You think we don't know whenever anybody enters our desert? You had an escort on you since you first crossed the bridge."

Link didn't know what to say. He had never known the Gerudo patrolled their doorway, but it seemed stupid to not assume they did. After all, didn't the Kokori follow any strangers in their forest until they left it?

"We'll take care of your horse. Can't say the same about your dog though." She laughed as her eyes glanced over at Sheik. Link missed the meaning entirely.

"Ok. Well, as long as that's taken care of-"

The Gerudo cut him off again."I'm to take you to leader right away."She turned and began to walk off. "Follow me, we'll be going through the waste… and I'd hate for you to get lost." She laughed again; it was more like a cackle.

Link nodded. "Let's go." They followed the Gerudo through the back gate of the fortress and across the quicksand-ish river that separated the solid desert from the wastes –it had a bridge now, better than when Link had to hope the longshot pulled him across without sinking.

Just as they reached the first flag the Gerudo used to navigate here, Link turned around to face Sheik.

"You've never been here before, right?"

Sheik nodded. "My people aren't exactly welcomed here." The Gerudo scoffed. Link ignored it.

"Alright." And before Sheik could react Link reached out and grabbed his hand. "It's really easy to get lost in here, even if you're following closely. If you get lost you could be wandering around out here for hours, even days." Link tried not to recall his first trip through the wasteland. "We'll go like this."

Link tried to get the whole thing out without blushing but towards the end he felt a faint tinge of red starting to creep up his face. He quickly turned back to their guide and hoped Sheik hadn't noticed.

Sheik didn't say anything, but followed along as they set out for the second flag. And then the third.

After what seemed like hours they finally arrived at the building Link knew to be the center of the wasteland. He expected the Gerudo to lead them straight on, in the direction of the Spirit Temple. Instead she took off to the right.

"We're not going to the Temple?" Link asked.



"No leader told me to bring you straight to the wall." Link realized he had no idea where the "wall" was. He'd thought it must be near the Temple, usually important things in Hyrule tended to be right around a temple, but apparently the "wall" was an exception. In his mind he tried to picture where they were and which direction they were going, but quickly stopped as it was hard to concentrate on both that and following the Gerudo.

It was only a five flag journey from the center building before they started to see a dark shape rising out of the horizon. Vision was blurry due to the seemingly endless sand blowing in every direction, but they were definitely coming upon something big.

"Is that it? The wall?"

"That's it. Pretty impressive, huh?"

"Yeah, it's massive. It's got to be 10 times the size of Hyrule Castle's walls…"

"I'd like to see the castle someday though, even so…" The Gerudo's voice was distant. It no longer carried the arrogance it had earlier. It seemed, sadder now.

"You've never seen the castle?"

"No I've never left the desert. This is all I've seen my whole life." She shrugged. "I know it's kind of pathetic but…" Her voice trailed off again.

"Still, there're lots of great things here. The Temple is one of the most amazing things I've ever seen." Even with the task of cleansing the temples, Link couldn't help but notice the beauty of the Spirit Temple above the others. The carved Goddess, the ornate walls – even the puzzles protecting the place had a certain charm.

The Gerudo managed a smile. "Thanks. You're a lot like what Nabooru says about you."

Link blushed, but a gasp behind him broke the conversation off. Sheik pulled his hand out of Link's and put it to his mouth.

"Goddesses… What's happening to it?"

Link could see what Sheik was talking about. It seemed that the sands had settled almost instantaneously and the wall looming ahead of them could be put in focus.

The wall was indeed massive, but so was the thick black liquid burning it away from the top down. Dark clouds hung right over the wall, they couldn't have been 20 feet above the top, and the liquid was raining from them, eating the wall away. The clouds conformed to the dips in the wall as the liquid had eating certain places faster than others, giving the wall a wave look. At its lowest point the liquid had corroded the wall down to half of its total height. There was no doubt why Nabooru had called them here now.



They could see a small group of tents in front of them with Gerudo standing guard around them and others busily moving around. As they approached a Gerudo came out of one of the tents to meet them.

"Leader." Their guide said

Nabooru ran up to them and threw her arms around Link, pulling him into a tight hug and spinning him around as if he weighed nothing.

"Boy! I'm so glad to see you. I wasn't sure I could pull Zelda's favorite little warrior away for a few weeks and when I didn't get a letter back from her I figured I couldn't. I'm so happy you're here." She stopped spinning him around, but kept Link in a tight embrace. Her eyes found Sheik and she glared. "And who's this dog you've got following you?"


End file.
